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JEDDAH: The sky’s the limit for visitors to the Jeddah Season of activities where tethered balloon trips are offering them a bird’s-eye view of the city.
Up to 29 passengers can take to the air with an Aerophile-certified pilot for rides lasting around 10 minutes in the 150-meter-high balloon located in City Walk, one of the festival zones.
The helium balloon, which is 22.46 meters in diameter, is anchored to the ground by ropes. Flights are dependent on weather conditions.
JEDDAH: Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Malaysia’s minister of tourism, arts and culture, led a delegation to Jeddah for a roadshow and business-to-business networking event aimed at exploring tourism opportunities between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
Accompanied by Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, director general of Tourism Malaysia, the group included representatives from private sector companies, travel agents and hoteliers to network and form strategic alliances with buyers, travel agents and airlines from the Kingdom.
In his remarks, the minister discussed preparations for the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which aims to attract 35.6 million tourists, focusing on increasing Malaysia’s visibility, improving accessibility, and enhancing the appeal of its tourism.
Speaking to Arab News, the minister said: “We are here to discuss further collaborations and launch the Visit Malaysia 2026 roadshow in Jeddah. Our annual roadshow allows us to showcase new offerings and strengthen partnerships with Saudi tour operators.”
Regarding Saudi tourist arrivals, he said: “We expect a rise in visitors from the Arab world, especially from Saudi Arabia, which has the largest percentage of visitors from the Middle East.”
He added: “Saudi Arabia has been a key market for Malaysia for years, and with Visit Malaysia 2026 approaching, we are targeting more visitors than last year, which reached 68,000.”
He asked everyone to work more vigorously and closely with Tourism Malaysia to send more Saudis to Malaysia, to observe its beauty and experience the sights and sounds of “Malaysia Truly Asia.”
MAKKAH: The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has launched several digital tools to enhance the spiritual experience of pilgrims during the Hajj season.
The initiative aims to convey the universal message of Hajj and highlight its Shariah objectives in multiple languages.
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the presidency, inaugurated the second version of the artificial intelligence-powered robot Manarah 2.
The launch included several smart interactive screens, a global electronic recitation platform, and a multilingual Surah Al-Fatiha app.
During the Hajj season, the presidency is focused on enhancing the digital experience through integrated services, AI, smart apps, and media, in line with its broader transformation goals.
The initiative also supports Vision 2030 by utilizing advanced digital tools and content developed by local experts to promote the values of moderation and guidance rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
The presidency’s Hajj operational plan, to be announced on Thursday, will prioritize enriching the pilgrim experience and will include scientific, educational, and guidance-based initiatives that reflect its core mission.
Riyadh: Vice Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al-Mushaiti has highlighted Saudi Arabia’s significant progress toward Vision 2030, with 93 percent of annual indicators met and 85 percent of initiatives either completed or on track.
Speaking at the Global Occupational Safety and Health Conference in Riyadh, he emphasized the environment sector’s commitment to sustainability and the prioritization of worker safety across all development projects.
Al-Mushaiti underscored the Kingdom’s focus on human capital, demonstrated by the establishment of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health and the adoption of international best practices.
He noted the water sector’s achievement of more than 190 million safe work hours and a sub-45-second emergency response time with zero serious incidents during large-scale project implementation, which he attributed to robust safety management systems.
The conference, held from May 4-6 under the theme “The Future of Occupational Safety and Health,” brings together senior officials, experts, and specialists from Saudi Arabia and around the world to explore future directions and challenges in global labor markets.
Al-Mushaiti also outlined environmental protection efforts, including a noise and light pollution monitoring program in major cities, citing potential productivity gains of more than 11 percent, according to the World Green Building Council.
He highlighted the success of the Saudi Green Initiative, which has led to the planting of more than 141 million trees, the rehabilitation of more than 313,000 hectares of degraded land, and the protection of more than 4 million hectares.
These environmental advances enhance worker safety and contribute to safer, more sustainable work environments, Al-Mushaiti said.
In agriculture, Al-Mushaiti affirmed the ministry’s adoption of Saudi Good Agricultural Practices standards, with 142 facilities accredited for safe practices, advanced pesticide control systems, and smart awareness platforms that have reduced pesticide residues to below 2 percent.
The three-day conference features scientific sessions, 60 workshops, 20 dialogue sessions, and the Global Occupational Safety and Health Hackathon, showcasing 30 innovative projects.
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief completed medical programs in Tajikistan, Turkiye, and Tanzania, in line with the organization’s aim to support injured people worldwide.
The Saudi Noor Campaign, which will conclude on May 6, is tackling blindness in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
The medical team examined 1,731 cases, assigned 198 prescription glasses, performed 60 operations and provided medication to 857 patients.
In Reyhanli district, Türkiye, KSrelief carried out a prosthetics and rehabilitation program.
With a team of 13 specialists, they fitted 36 individuals with prosthetics and 40 orthopedic splints.
On Saturday, the organization also concluded its volunteer open-heart surgery and catheterization project in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The team performed 133 open-heart catheterizations and 15 open-heart operations.
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief continues to launch volunteer programs throughout the Arab world to address humanitarian crises and improve the health of Yemeni and Syrian people.
In Damascus, the team completed three volunteer initiatives that supported hundreds with disaster response, administrative training, and psychosocial support for women and children. The program ran from April 26 to May 3.
In Yemen, meanwhile, KSrelief completed the first phase of an outreach vaccination campaign in the Aden governorate in collaboration with Yemen’s Minister of Public Health and Population Qasem Buhaibeh.
On Friday, the organization launched vocational training courses in Wadi Hadhramaut, Yemen, to improve the livelihood of locals and boost economic development.
The project targeted 1,500 people and focused on home appliance maintenance, carpentry, vehicle repair, men’s tailoring, beekeeping, plumbing, photography, and electricity and energy.
